Cruising the Internet

Heard about this thing called the internet and want to know more? Here are some answers.

 –Richard G. Ensman Jr., a Rochester , N. Y.-based business writer

Just a few years ago, it was a challenge to find many companies in the scrap industry that had computerized. But that's no longer the case. Many scrap recycling firms now rely on computers to handle all kinds of business functions, and more and more are looking to take the next step-onto the internet, a huge network of computer-based information and communication resources available to almost anyone with a computer.

Here's some guidance and background information for those interested in taking the plunge.

A Network of Networks

It's important to realize from the outset that the internet isn't a computer network in the conventional sense. Rather, it's a network of networks, consisting of some 8,000 to 10,000 different computer services and networks operated by governments, industries, and not-for-profit organizations in more than 50 countries.

Indeed, the internet is quite a different instrument today than it was when the Department of Defense established it in the late 1960s as a defense research network and a fail-safe communication system that could be fully activated in the event of war or public emergency.

Well over 15 million people now use this so-called information superhighway for all kinds of purposes--from transferring computer files to other users and communicating through electronic mail to shopping for all kinds of products and searching for information on probably any field of human endeavor. With internet access, you can often even pull the full text of articles and electronic versions of photographs into your computer system with just a few keystrokes.

(See “Some Choice Locations” at left for a list of some internet resource spots that may be of particular interest to scrap recyclers.)

To connect to the internet, you’ll need a computer, a modem, and a telephone line. You’ll also need some way to access the internet, which simply means that a network operator—a business, an educational institution, or an on-line information service such as CompuServe, Prodigy, or America Online—has assigned you an internet “address” or code, that enables you to send and receive information via the network.

Obtaining access is much easier than you might think. If you’re affiliated with an educational institution or major corporation, ask if you can obtain an internet address; you may be able to do so at no charge. In addition, some colleges and universities offer guest accounts on their computer systems to community residents for a small fee, and these guest accounts can usually be used to access the internet. Furthermore, some metropolitan communities offer full or limited internet access via not-for-profit communication or computing organizations, or library systems.

If you can't find such a local organization to provide you with access, you can subscribe to one of the on-line services, usually for under $15 per month, and obtain at least partial access to the internet. While these on-line services may charge some additional fees for internet access, the costs are typically quite modest. Online services also usually provide you with a local telephone access number, which can save you costly long-distance charges. If you're interested in this option, the names and telephone numbers of the larger on-line services are noted in "On-Line Access" on page 118.

Finding Your Way Around

The internet, remember, is an amalgamation of thousands of different computers, organizations, and networks. It's not a menu-driven service that provides quick and easy access to every destination in the network, and there's no one to call for advice when you get lost on your internet trip, though if you use a paid on-line service for access, the provider may offer some interface software to take care of certain commands and perhaps even a support line for some basic navigation advice.

Still, because no one owns or even governs the internet, there are no up-to-the-minute "road signs" for directing the new or casual user to the breathtaking variety of destinations on the information superhighway. So how do you find your way around once you've gained internet access?

As one answer, you can use one or more of the commercially published internet guidebooks such as those listed in "Want to Know More?" on page 116. These books list many of the popular internet destinations and provide the appropriate addresses. But these books can quickly become out-of-date since internet offerings and addresses change constantly and no one routinely reports these changes to any central authority.

Another resource for maneuvering through the internet are the internet discussion groups, also known as "listservs." These discussion groups consist of hundreds or even thousands of people who are interested in a particular topic and systematically exchange ideas, data, and chatter with each other through elaborate computer bulletin boards or e-mail systems. If you join a group on international marketing, for instance, you'll almost certainly hear about a wide variety of internet destinations that deal with this topic from other members of the group.

"Gopher" servers can also help you find your way around the internet. These electronic gateways provide simple menus to sections of the internet, directing you to your destination quickly and efficiently. Usually set up at specific networks on the internet, or "nodes”--like government offices, universities, or business libraries-- they allow you to navigate through topical collections of resources without a lot of guesswork or internet knowledge.

In addition, a number of businesses and universities are developing other forms of menu-driven access tools, and these will undoubtedly become much more common in the years ahead.

As you become more proficient in navigating the internet, you'll accumulate a collection of addresses of special interest to you. Besides locating addresses from your own internet travel, you'll find them in computer publications, newspaper references, and even routine business correspondence. In addition, friends, acquaintances, or business colleagues may pass internet addresses along to you. The more addresses of interest you collect for your own internet address book, the easier it will be to find what you're looking for when you go to seek particular information or electronic communication.

Rules of the Road

Besides coping with the basics of exploring the internet, new users have another learning curve to deal with: proper etiquette on the information superhighway. While there are no hard-and-fast rules to using the internet since it isn't controlled by anyone, a variety of internet customs have developed over the years. Follow them, and it should make your internet travels more pleasurable and productive:

• Always clearly identify yourself when communicating with other users.
• Use mixed case when writing messages. Writing your message in all capital letters is considered an act of rudeness and anger.
• Don't send e mail messages or bulletin board messages that are unrelated to the topic at hand. If you're participating in a bulletin board on productivity, for instance, don't insert comments about equipment problems.
• Keep your messages brief.
• Avoid-sending unsolicited commercial appeals. While some commercial development of the internet is inevitable, most users dislike junk e-mail--and will tell you so, by means of tersely worded "flame" messages.
• If you notice inappropriate or problematic usage, report it whenever possible to the operator of the network you're using. For instance, if you're accessing a university library and unusual messages keep popping up on your screen, you may be encountering a security problem. Let the library know.
• Observe copyright laws. It's perfectly acceptable to electronically publish brief passages from a printed (or electronic) work, provided credit is given. But transmitting entire volumes of material would likely violate copyright laws.
• Remember that when you're communicating via e-mail or through bulletin boards, you're communicating with other people. Treat them as courteously as you'd like to be treated.
• And perhaps the most important rule of all: When you're on-line, observe the habits of other internet users. That's the best way to learn internet etiquette.

The Highway of the Future

No one knows what form the internet will gradually evolve into or whether other information superhighways might crop up thanks to public or private efforts. But it seems clear that there will be some system offering people from all walks of life even more access to an even more incredible array of communication and information resources than the internet of today.

In any case, the internet has already come a long way, and those scrap recyclers that decide to take a trip down this information superhighway have an opportunity to see how far it can take them.